England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa cemented their top spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. Additionally, have a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, in addition, believes that England’s current ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
